Insights on a Scaled Back Obesity Care Bill

Tell us what you think about the revised Treat to Reduce Obesity Act (TROA)

TROA is a bipartisan bill first introduced in 2013 that will expand insurance coverage for Medicare beneficiaries to include:

*Obesity screening;
*Treatment from a diverse range of healthcare providers specializing in obesity care; and
*FDA-approved obesity medications.

On June 27, 2024, a pared down version of TROA was voted on by the House Ways & Means Committee. While this marks a pivotal moment for the bill--which has been reintroduced several times over eleven years--it still needs to clear the full House; pass the Senate; and receive presidential endorsement to become law.

Here's what the current version of the bill includes:

1) Medicare Part D will only cover obesity medications if you were taking them for one year before aging into Medicare (i.e., your current insurance plan covered them, which many don't.)

2) If you are uninsured; on a private insurance plan that does not cover obesity medications; or on Medicaid, you remain ineligible for Medicare Part D coverage once you age into the program.

3) A re-evaluation of Medicare coverage determination for intensive behavioral therapy, which would help older adults build healthy habits that treat obesity.

NCOA, together with over 60 organizations committed to promoting older adults' rights to obesity care, will continue to work on more equitable and expanded coverage of obesity treatments.

To guide that work, we would like to know your opinion on the version of TROA that passed out of committee:
1.The scaled back Obesity Care Bill (revised TROA) creates health care inequities because only those who currently have insurance coverage for obesity medications will benefit from continuity of care once they age into Medicare.
2.Although the revised TROA does not meet all the goals you advocated for, it is still is better than no Medicare coverage of obesity medications at all.
3.This legislation is a starting point for breaking down barriers to comprehensive obesity care.
4.I support NCOA's continued efforts to improve access to obesity treatment and expand coverage if this bill moves forward.
5.If you have been impacted by this issue and would like to provide additional comment, please share your thoughts here: